NSTA Engage: Spring21 - Sessions

Designing Culturally Responsive Makerspace Pop-Up Activities

Discover research-based approaches on how to build a strong makerspace community that taps into foundational scientific literacy skills. Participate in a makerspace project-based literacy challenge.

Takeaways: 1. Improve culturally responsive teaching in an informal makerspace environment through the development of makerspace pop-up activities and training approaches following a makerspace project-based literacy process; 2. Increase scientific literacy achievement through informal literacy hands-on makerspace pop-up activities focused on STEM real-world activities; and 3. Describe opportunities and hands-on mobile approaches to build capacity of existing informal makerspace learning of remote communities, diverse learners, and STEM professionals serving underrepresented minority populations.

Speakers

Jennifer Miller (Sul Ross State University: Alpine, TX), Thomas Tomas (Little Singer Community School: Winslow, AZ)

Presenter Materials for this Session:

NSTA Press Session: Once Upon a Physical Science Book: Real Science, Real Literacy Instruction

Want your students to read and write science more effectively? Join the author of the Once Upon A Science Book series for lessons from her newest book integrating literacy and physical science content.

Takeaways: 1. There are three main impediments to students becoming confident science readers: they do not expect what they are reading to make sense, they lack the background knowledge assumed in the text, and they have found shortcuts around doing classroom reading; 2. Using a literacy learning cycle (exploration, reading, writing) makes reading science easier; and 3. Participants will also try out a literacy learning cycle that they can use with their classes (so they will learn a new lesson plan).

Speakers

Jodi Wheeler-Toppen (Author/ Staff Development: Atlanta, GA), Karen Kraus (Retired Teacher: Goodyear, AZ), Matthew Hackett (Delta Woods Middle School: Blue Springs, MO)

Presenter Materials for this Session:

Integrating Science and Literacy in Middle and High School Classrooms with Argument-Driven Inquiry

Learn about Argument-Driven Inquiry and how it can help students engage in real-world science while using literacy-based materials in the service of sensemaking.

Takeaways: In this session, participants will: 1. how to use this instructional model, or way of teaching, to give students an opportunity to learn how to use the core ideas, crosscutting concepts, and practices of science to make sense of natural phenomena; 2. how to give students an opportunity to talk, read, and write in the service of sensemaking in science; and 3. ways to support students as they engage in real-world science while using literacy-based materials in the service of sensemaking.

Speakers

Victor Sampson (The University of Texas at Austin: Austin, TX)

Discipline-Specific Language Demands with CER and KLEWS

Explore how to use argumentation and explanations supported with the CER framework and the KLEWS chart to engage in the science and engineering practices in the science classroom—both virtually and in person. These ideas will support students to actively participate in inquiry-based, phenomenon-centered activities.

Takeaways: 1. Students need a scaffolding of supports to fully participate and grow in their ability to use the SEPs; 2. Teachers can use many different supports, in different ways for varied learners, to help all students be successful in science. ALL students can be successful!; and 3. These supports can be tailored to all topics in science.

Speakers

Kelly Moore (Tennessee Tech: Cookeville, TN)

Presenter Materials for this Session:

Designing Culturally Responsive Makerspace Pop-Up Activities

Discover research-based approaches on how to build a strong makerspace community that taps into foundational scientific literacy skills. Participate in a makerspace project-based literacy challenge.

Takeaways: 1. Improve culturally responsive teaching in an informal makerspace environment through the development of makerspace pop-up activities and training approaches following a makerspace project-based literacy process; 2. Increase scientific literacy achievement through informal literacy hands-on makerspace pop-up activities focused on STEM real-world activities; and 3. Describe opportunities and hands-on mobile approaches to build capacity of existing informal makerspace learning of remote communities, diverse learners, and STEM professionals serving underrepresented minority populations.

Speakers

Jennifer Miller (Sul Ross State University: Alpine, TX), Thomas Tomas (Little Singer Community School: Winslow, AZ)

Presenter Materials for this Session:

Developing Science as a Second Language: Vocabulary Acquisition for All

In this session, learn how to engage all students in vocabulary development in the science classroom. Instructional strategies for all students, with a focus on English Learners, will be highlighted.

Takeaways: Attendees will learn: 1. how to teach vocabulary alongside content; 2. immediately implementable activities to promote vocabulary acquisition; and 3. about resources to support vocabulary instruction.

Speakers

Kimberly Thesing (Thomas Worthington High School: Columbus, OH), Stephanie Matson (Thomas Worthington High School: Columbus, OH)

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Identifying Bias and Misinformation in Resources and Media

We are currently in an epidemic of fake news and misinformation. This session will help teachers guide students (and themselves) to use critical-thinking tools and skills to evaluate sources of information.

Takeaways: 1. Misinformation and bias is on the rise, and we are consistently exposed to it through social media and other news sources; 2. There are great tools and resources to help students identify and avoid the traps of fake news and misinformation; and 3. By helping students become more critical consumers of information, teachers are helping create better informed citizens.

Speakers

Jason Carter (Evergreen Community Charter School: Asheville, NC), Michelle Benigno (The Science House at North Carolina State University: Mills River, NC)

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Preservice Day Session: Science and Literacy: Complimentary Disciplines Inciting Critical Science Citizenry

Explore the placement of science literacy within the nature of scientific knowledge and the Next Generation Science Standards. Gain insights on implementing science literacy strategies.

Takeaways: 1. Exemplars with steps for implementing three or more literacy strategies; 2. Overview of how Science Literacy connects with the Nature of Scientific Knowledge; and 3. Overview of the position of Science Literacy within the NGSS.

Speakers

Christine Anne Royce (Shippensburg University: Shippensburg, PA), Omah Williams-Duncan (University of Houston-Clear Lake: Houston, TX)

Presenter Materials for this Session:

ASTC-Sponsored Session: The Art of Facilitating Observation: Strategies to Deepen Scientific Literacy

A 21st-century museum will share strategies developed through school partnerships that strengthen student language and listening skills while meeting Next Generation Science Standards.

Takeaways: Attendees will: 1. be introduced to strategies to practice student-led, evidence-based discussions about scientific concepts; 2. see the application of this open inquiry technique for in-person or digital learning; and 3. experience the process in action.

Speakers

Kerri Ziemann (The Wild Center: Tupper Lake, NY), Michael Trumbower (The Wild Center: Tupper Lake, NY)

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Effective Questioning Strategies to Engage Students in STEM

Collaborate and share tools that can be used either in person or in a distance-learning environment. Discover how you can use these tools in the science classroom, especially with STEM projects and competitions.

Takeaways: 1. Collaborate and share tools that can be used either in person or in a distance-learning environment; 2. Discover how you can use these tools in the science classroom, especially with STEM projects and competitions; and 3. Engage with educators that are interested in improving science literacy with K-12 students via interactive engagement strategies for students.

Speakers

Acacia McKenna (NSTA: Arlington, VA)

Data, Graphs, Tables, Oh My! Strategies to Integrate Data Literacy and Pedagogy into Existing Science Curricula

Leverage how people learn to integrate key data skills with your science content through tips and strategies to engage with real-world data, science, and literacy.

Takeaways: Participants will gain: 1. a framework for thinking about how people learn with data and what the steps are along the progression from being a novice to expert user of data in STEM; 2. strategies and resources to use in our existing science teaching to better set students up for success in the future as they build their mastery of data skills to become more data and science literate, without adding more stress on a crowded curriculum; and 3. a suite of tips and tricks to integrate into your current science curriculum that enhance how students work with data to learn the content, ask questions and explore the data, analyze and interpret the data, and critically evaluate evidence and claims.

Speakers

Kristin Hunter-Thomson (Dataspire Education & Evaluation, Rutgers University: Princeton, NJ)

Presenter Materials for this Session: